Deck the Halls
by Mariel1
Summary: What is Christmas about? Even the Care Bear Family can forget that sometimes. But is it really their fault? The Family must remember how to cooperate, because a very special Caring Mission awaits them.


"Deck the Halls"

__

Author's Note" I don't own the Care Bears, or any of the Christmas songs in this story. I used a few lines from "The Night Before Christmas", and I don't own that either. "When the River Meets the Sea" was from "John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together". The recipe for coffee ring at the end of the fic is my dad's own recipe, and while it's a lot of work to make, it's very good! Special thanks to eagle205 for helping me get over a nasty case of writer's block. The idea was there, but it was without direction. Thanks, eagle!

It was finally here. Christmas time was always a busy time in the Kingdom of Caring. For one thing, there were usually a lot of children to cheer up at this time of year, children who must spend the holidays in the hospital, or children who recently lost a relative and would be spending Christmas without them for the first time, or even children who were simply feeling a bit down. This was the Care Bear Family's job after all, and they were very good at it. In addition to the increase in Caring Missions, the Family would be preparing for two parties; one would be held on Christmas Eve, and one would last the entirety of Christmas Day. This meant several days of planning in advance. It was a lot of work, but even Grumpy Bear didn't complain as much as he usually did. They hoped the parties wouldn't be interrupted; not because it would interfere with their fun, but because they wanted everyone to be happy on Christmas, whether this was a realistic wish or not.

Stellar Heart Tiger had only seen one Christmas before in the Kingdom of Caring, but this time around he was, as his wife Regal Heart Lioness put it, a 'seasoned pro'. He didn't mind heights at all, and he was a big help when it came time to set up the many hanging decorations at the Hall of Hearts. So far he hadn't joined in the caroling, mostly out of shyness, but he loved to listen. Right now, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, he was sitting in his living room and stringing popcorn on a length of thread. He was nearly done; this garland would be long enough for their tree, he was certain of it.

The tiger inhaled deeply through his nose, and sighed. Regal was now in their kitchen, making some sort of dessert she called "coffee rings", which were something to look forward to. He had watched her make the sweet bread dough earlier that morning, but she had shooed him out of the kitchen when he tried to steal a piece. Of course he hadn't really minded, since he knew he shouldn't eat raw dough, and since he had a large bowl of popcorn waiting for the needle and thread. Now, however, his stomach turned over and growled as the scents of cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins reached his nostrils. This year she was making four, and he had seen her make them the year before. He smiled as he remembered being shooed out then as well.

After Regal made the jelly roll shape with the dough, she would turn the ends towards each other to form a ring. Then she would use a scissors to cut part-way through it at intervals all around to indicate where the individual pieces should be cut. It also made the cake (or was it bread?) look nice.

Right now, Stellar knew, she was taking them out of the ovens to cool, and would soon be making the icing. After icing the rings, he knew she would place a walnut half and a candied cherry half, alternately, on each piece. Yum!

"Ouch!" Stellar sucked his finger, frowning slightly. In his distraction, he had gotten careless with the needle and pricked himself. The tiger took his finger out of his mouth to look, and saw that he hadn't actually pierced the skin. He got up, abandoning the popcorn garland, and went into the kitchen to wash his paws and maybe sneak a walnut from the bowl.

Regal Heart, not knowing that her husband was coming up behind her, was whisking the frosting in a big bowl and singing to herself. "'Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go'…"

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pinning her arms at her sides so that he could tickle her. "'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!'"

Regal had no choice but to let go of the bowl, which wobbled on the counter for a moment as she struggled and laughed. "Ha ha! Hey! I could've dropped that!"

He laughed back, and continued to tickle her. "What'll you give me if I let you go?" She was laughing too much to answer him, so he relented a little and stopped tickling her. "Well?"

"A walnut?" she asked.

He pretended to think. "Hmmm…"

"I'll dip it in frosting…" she wheedled as he set his chin on top of her head.

"Well…" he hedged.

"And a kiss?" she added hopefully.

He grinned. "Well, okay…you wore me down."

Regal Heart dipped a walnut half into the frosting, then kissed her husband before popping the food into his mouth. One thing that had never changed was the tiger's love for food. Take Care Bear thought that he must have a high metabolism, because as much as he ate he never got fat. The red bear guessed that it may be a byproduct of his having been starved at one point, but this was just speculation.

Stellar parked his stripy backside on a kitchen chair, happily chewing his handout and watching his wife work. Finally he swallowed, and asked, "Are you _sure_ you don't need any help?"

"Well…" she considered. She _had_ been on her feet all day, and it would be nice to sit down. "Okay. Would you mind cutting the candied cherries in half?"

"Not at all." He replied, getting up and washing his paws before opening the plastic container, while Regal sat down with the bowl of frosting on her lap. She turned a blind eye to the fact that he helped himself to a cherry.

"So, what did you get for Brave Heart?" asked Stellar.

"He said his hairbrush was missing bristles, so I got him a new one." she told him.

Stellar looked at her over his shoulder. "I remember him saying he liked his old one."

She made a dismissive wave with her paw, and said, "Well, he always says stuff like that. You know he's a pack rat. This way he'll have a choice, and maybe he'll decide to keep the new one."

"Mm." He agreed.

"Besides, I also got him a couple Westerns on DVD." She continued, "I've seen his collection, so I know which ones he has and which ones he doesn't have."

"Well, how can you be sure someone else didn't get him that?" asked Stellar.

She chuckled, "Because he was dropping me hints left and right." she shook her head. "Brothers…"

Stellar's smile faded, and he didn't realize he had stopped slicing the cherries in half until Regal came over and waved a paw in front of his eyes. He resumed slicing, but she took the butter knife from him.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned.

Stellar had never told her about his brother who had died at the circus, and he didn't want to put a damper on things by telling her now. He smiled, and said, "Just thinking about what I got you."

"What?" she asked innocently.

His grin slid wider. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not telling." He took the knife back, and felt better at her groan of disappointment. This was a fun game to play, trying to get each other to slip up and tell. She had almost gotten him that morning, and he had actually gotten her to say "It's a…" before she had caught herself and rubbed one of her index fingers over the other, telling him he was naughty. Both of them got great enjoyment out of refusing to blab, and of trying to trick each other. It kept them on their toes.

"So, what did _you_ get him?" asked Regal, who was stirring the frosting again.

"Well, I know he likes Westerns, but I didn't want to get him something he already had." He said, "So I got him a Rubix Cube."

Regal Heart bit her lip as she imagined her brother trying to decipher the puzzle. She herself had been working on one of those for several weeks before she had finally solved it. As much as she loved her brother, she had to admit he wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box. He was far from stupid, but he _was_ a bit simple at times.

Stellar looked at her, worried. "Do you think I should have gotten him something else?"

"Nah." She smiled, setting the bowl down. The coffee rings would be cool enough to ice in about half an hour. "He could use the distraction."

"Oh?" the tiger looked interested. "Why?"

"Well…" she hesitated, not sure if she should say. "He's a little down because things didn't work out between him and Proud Heart."

"Oh, that's a shame…" Stellar shook his head, and Regal nodded.

A minute later, Regal spoke again. "Oh Stellar, you remember your first Christmas here?"

"Yeah." He remembered, all right. At the time, he had been putting on some weight and was coming out of his shell a bit. Technically it hadn't been his first Christmas, but it had been the first Christmas in which he had been a participant. The tiger rinsed off the butter knife he had used to slice the cherries with, and sat down, remembering…

He had rarely seen so much food in one place at one time! Even if he had taken only one tiny helping of each dish he came to, he would be full before he came to the end of the line. Even so, he had made the effort. He had tried Grumpy Bear's mince pie and liked it, but Regal had politely refused. He had to admit, that particular kind of pie had an odd taste to it, but Stellar Heart Tiger wasn't one to take food for granted. If he couldn't finish something, he always stored it away for later.

Then had come the Christmas carols. Regal had tried to get him to join in, but he would not. He hadn't known the words, and back then he had been painfully shy. He remembered how much fun it had been, though. Maybe this year he would sing too. Just maybe.

Stellar smiled as he recalled his favorite Christmas custom…mistletoe. Regal had caught him by surprise under a little hanging branch with white berries on it, kissing him soundly for no apparent reason. He hadn't minded that, of course. "Yeah," he said again as he snapped out of his reverie, "I do remember."

Regal Heart was icing the coffee rings now, which meant a considerable amount of time had passed. "Well, now you know what to expect." She said, "So, do you think you'll sing with us this year?"

Stellar Heart gave a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe…"

"You should." She encouraged, "You have a beautiful voice, but you hardly ever use it."

"I sang when we had the April Fool's Day talent show." He pointed out.

"Well, yes." She conceded, not saying that it had been like pulling teeth trying to get him to do it. He hadn't had a problem with the speaking parts, but for some reason singing made him bashful.

"I didn't know the words last year. If everyone else sings, I will too." he told her. Then, as soon as her back was turned, he dipped another walnut into the frosting and ate it.

Without bothering to turn around, Regal said, "You better stop that, or there won't be enough for the coffee rings."

"Why do they call 'em coffee rings?" asked Stellar, ignoring the rebuke, "There's no coffee in them."

Regal Heart shook her head. "Dunno. Maybe it's supposed to be eaten with coffee. Though my dad always had it with tea…"

"Tea…that's a good idea." Stellar rested his chin on his fist, but didn't get up to make a pot. One, he didn't like working the stove; two, they would be leaving for the Hall of Hearts in less than an hour. He wanted to save room for dinner.

……………………

Regal and Stellar were glad to be in out of the cold, and they were even more glad to be able to set down the coffee rings and the presents.

"Whoo…" gasped Regal, rubbing her gloved paws together, "Nippy out there!"

"Well, come on in and have some cocoa." Said Grams Bear, "My stars, you're both blue with cold! Come and sit by the fire."

At the word "fire", Stellar Heart blanched and said, "Just the cocoa is fine."

"There's a screen covering it." Said Regal Heart, shucking her heavy winter coat. She was talking about the fireplace. Stellar didn't seem to have heard her, but a moment later he joined her at the couch in front of the fire, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. Regal took the mug he offered, and smiled. "Thanks."

It was rather early, so there weren't many Bears or Cousins in the Hall yet. Regal and Stellar had the best seats in the Hall, if only for a while. Soon they would have to get up and help, but for now they could relax.

Stellar looked into the flames, and he had to admit that fire wasn't nearly as scary when it was contained. Still, if the fire needed more wood or some stoking, he was sure to migrate to the other side of the room.

Regal Heart sipped her cocoa, and looked at her husband out of the corner of her eye. He always looked like he was thinking about something, but he didn't always say what he was thinking about. She knew better than to ask him, though. He wasn't the talkative type, and if it was important he would usually say so.

In this case, the tiger was thinking back on the year that was nearly over, and wondering just how he had come by such a good life. He had a beautiful wife, who was more than a wife; she was his closest friend. He had a family that he loved, and that loved him in return. He had plenty of food to eat, a nice home, and he loved his work. What did he really want with Christmas presents? What he really looked forward to was the gathering itself.

Stellar gave a sudden shiver as the temperature in the room dropped by at least ten degrees. _'Someone must have forgotten to shut the door' _He looked around the room, his eyes taking in the blinking Christmas lights, the massive Christmas tree, and the growing piles of gifts beneath it. He was glad they didn't have an electric bill to pay way up in the clouds, because the room was so bright from the lights that he was tempted to Call himself a pair of sunglasses.

The tiger's brow creased a bit as he became concerned. He saw his family members hovering around their piles of presents as they tried to guess what they got and compared their groups of gifts to everyone else's. Everyone was still friendly to one another, but he noticed that they put their gifts down and admired the ones they were going to open the next day before they greeted one another. "Regs?"

"Hmm?" she looked at him.

"You don't think we're too…well, gift-conscious, do you?" he asked, and at her puzzled look he continued, "What I mean is, do you think Christmas is more about the decorations and the presents these days? Granted, this is only my second Christmas here, but…"

She giggled. "You sound like Charlie Brown."

Stellar looked into his mug, a bit stung by that, and Regal at once regretted the careless remark. She took his paw again, and said, "I'm sorry. But listen, I don't think that's the case at all…You remember watching 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'?"

He nodded. "Sure. It was on last night."

"Well, even after the Grinch took all the presents and decorations away, the Whos still had fun and celebrated. Why do you think that was?"

"I don't know…" he said. He _did_ know, but he wasn't sure how to explain it.

"It's because, even though their stuff was gone, it was still Christmas Day. And they still had each other. Everyone's excited, that's all. If all they got was the gifts but not each other, they wouldn't have nearly as much fun. None of us would." She said, and he had to admit it made sense. Still, to one who had been very used to going without, a lot of this seemed overdone. It just disturbed him that many of them would check out the gifts first and say hello second. Had something changed since last year?

"I hope you're right."

Just then, Hugs and Tugs came running over. Regal and Stellar barely had time to put down their mugs of cocoa before the two rambunctious cubs pounced on them. Lioness and tiger were flung back into the couch cushions, laughing and winded.

"Merry Christmas!" sang Hugs, squeezing the breath out of Stellar Heart with one of her famous hugs.

"Happy 'New Ear'!" added Tugs, hugging Regal much more gently.

Regal chuckled gently. "I think you mean 'New _Year_', Tugs."

"Oh yeah." the blue cub giggled. "What did you two ask Santa for this year? Grams helped us with our list. I asked for some action figures. Hugs only asked for a dolly…"

"Well, I only _wanted_ a dolly." Hugs retorted, but she was smiling.

Stellar laughed, and said, "Well, we didn't ask Santa for anything, Tugs."

The cubs were agog. "You didn't?!"

Regal shook her head. "Nope. You see, Santa is special. He's just for little children. And cubs."

Hugs and Tugs exchanged a surprised look, and Hugs asked, "But how do grown-ups get their Christmas presents?"

"They get them for each other." Explained Regal, "Santa has a big job, so to make it easier on him, grown-ups play Santa for each other and give the real Santa a break."

"Ohhh." The cubs nodded. They seemed to like that answer.

By now the Hall was full to capacity, and Regal and Stellar were called upon to help set things up. An impromptu sing-a-long began when Hugs and Tugs began to sing "Jingle Bells", and the rest of them joined in. It was so much fun that they sang several more songs after that; "Deck the Halls", "Silent Night", "We Three Kings", "O Holy Night". Somewhere in the middle of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", Stellar Heart joined in. He sang quietly, so as to go unnoticed, but those who were standing around him sang more softly so that they could hear him. The poor tiger became self-conscious, and forgot the words. He laughed a bit as he flubbed a line, blushing and covering his face as they rapped him good-naturedly on the back. He soon joined in again, however, when he had remembered the words and when the focus was no longer on him. Towards the end of the song, the room got extremely chilly for a moment, as if someone had opened the doors. When Stellar looked over, though, the doors were tightly shut. Then he remembered how it had suddenly gotten cold a half-hour earlier, and he realized that the doors hadn't been open _then_ either.

Stellar looked around the room, and was surprised to see that few of them were actually smiling as they sang. That was odd, to say the least. Then, surprisingly, an argument broke out between Swift Heart Rabbit and Playful Heart Monkey about which verse of "Let it Snow" came first. It didn't last long, but the two of them refuse to sing after that. Several of them began to cast covetous glances at each other's presents, and Stellar Heart felt a strange sort of chill go up and down his spine.

"I'm telling you, that verse comes _after_ mine!" snapped Swift Heart.

"No it _doesn't!_" Playful Heart shouted back, shoving the rabbit.

"Both of you, stop it _right_ now, or it's home you go!" roared Brave Heart. A squabble broke out, but they soon forgot what they were fighting about, and just fought for the sake of fighting. Grams Bear made the cubs look away. Stellar Heart, astonished, stood for a moment with his mouth hanging slack.

"I'm gonna go sit down…" he told Regal, heading for the couch again. He sat there, staring into the flames, and wondering just _what_ had come over his family. He was hurt to see such sudden discord among them, and he was seized by the urge to go home. Too afraid that if he interfered he would make things worse, he bowed his head and wished with all his heart that they would stop.

Regal Heart watched him sit there for a few minutes, then she went over herself and sat beside him. She put her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Finally, she said, "I just don't understand it…"

"So it isn't just me?" he asked. That was a rhetorical question, of course. Anyone who knew the Care Bear Family would know that this was very unusual for them.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head, "Something's wrong…"

Stellar was about to reply when the Caring Meter went off.

"Huh?" Brave Heart went to the window. "Pipe down, you pack of magpies! Someone needs us on Earth."

"I'll go see!" said Wish Bear, and she headed out to look through her Star-o-Scope, shoving Grams Bear along the way. The Family followed her, donning their coats on the way out. Wish closed one eye and put the other eye to the Scope, looking down and turning this way and that to spot the problem. It didn't take her long to find it. Through the Scope she spied an old, sad-looking man. He was living in a rather cramped apartment, and at the moment he was preparing his Christmas Dinner; a grilled cheese.

"What is it?" asked Tender Heart.

"An old man is alone on Christmas…and he doesn't look like he has much." Replied Wish Bear.

"What about his family?" asked Cheer Bear.

"Well, I can't tell from here…" Wish said in a rather snobbish voice, "One of us will have to go down there."

Nearly everyone seemed reluctant to leave the warmth of the Hall. Each looked at the other, expecting them to volunteer, and hoping that they wouldn't be asked to go. It was so cold outside, and there were other things on their agenda…

Regal frowned at her family's reaction, and looked at Stellar Heart. The tiger looked sad again, sad and filled with shame. His gaze met Regal Heart's, and they nodded in unison. It was Christmas, and that meant that their job was that much more important. They weren't the only ones who hadn't become uncaring, but Stellar was the first of those to speak up.

"Well, if it's too much trouble for the rest of you, we'll be happy to do it." Said Stellar. His tone wasn't angry or accusing, but the message of the words carried just the same; his tummy symbol began to glow brightly, and the glow engulfed every one of them. The Family looked away or hung their heads in shame. As they did so, a strange thing happened. Two or three of No Heart's Shadows rose up into the air and flew off in a huff. That explained it! It hadn't been the Care Bear Family's fault. As soon as the Shadows were gone, the Caring Meter went up two points, so that it was only down by one now, not three.

The Bears and Cousins looked at each other as if waking up from a dream. Playful Heart turned to Swift Heart and said, "I'm sorry…you were right."

Swift Heart looked dazed, and said, "Don't mention it. Honest mistake."

Stellar Heart was profoundly relieved, and he said, "Really, you guys go back inside. Regal and I can handle this."

Everyone felt guilty for their behavior, and they tried to convince Regal and Stellar that they should come too, but in the end they agreed to stay behind. The man's apartment simply wouldn't be able to hold them all, and a large group of strangers, Care Bear or otherwise, might be too intimidating. Regal and Stellar got together some food to bring down to him, and Brave Heart approached them.

"Say, uh…sorry about all that…" the lion mumbled.

Regal gave him a quick hug, since they were in a hurry. "It wasn't your fault. That was No Heart's feeble attempt to ruin Christmas for us, and it failed."

"Yeah." Brave Heart smiled, feeling better. "Hey, we'll put some food aside for you guys, okay?"

"Thanks, Bro." Regal flashed a quick smile, and bundled the containers of food into the back of the Cloudmobile.

"We'll keep you posted." Said Stellar, getting into the driver's seat.

"You do that; I'll want a full report when you get back." Replied Brave Heart.

Regal gave a rather saucy salute, and she and Stellar were soon on their way down to Earth.

……………………

"Yeah, what do…" the old man blinked, seeing only open air in front of him. He looked down at the sound of feminine throat-clearing, and saw two small animals. Were they animals? He didn't know what else to call them. "What do you want?" he asked, sounding even more out of sorts than Grumpy Bear usually did.

Regal smiled. "I'm Regal Heart Lioness, and this is my husband, Stellar Heart Tiger. We're here to—"

The man cut her off, having seen the Tupperware containers in their arms. "Whatever you're selling, I can't afford it."

"We're not selling anything, sir." Said Stellar Heart, "We're here to cheer you up."

"Zat right…" he squinted a bit, folding his arms and lifting his chin a little to look down his nose at them. "Well…might as well come in, I guess…" he stood aside and let them pass.

"Thank you." Regal smiled pleasantly as she and Stellar crossed the threshold. They set the containers down on a table, and looked up at their host. He was certainly old; he appeared to be in his late eighties, he was almost completely bald, and he was wearing glasses so thick that they made his eyes look like a pair of poached eggs. His apartment, while clean, was very small and sparsely furnished. They could see several crush marks in the carpet where furniture had once stood, but had apparently either been sold or thrown away. Regal thought that he might have sold two chairs and a coffee table to either pay his rent or pay off some sort of debt.

"So, what are you two anyway?" the man asked, settling down on a couch and wincing as his back popped several times. He did not ask them to sit down, so they remained standing.

"We're Care Bear Cousins…" said Stellar.

"Our job is to spread love and caring wherever we can, and cheer people up." Regal added, "Though we generally work with children. Tell me, what's your name?"

"Frank." The man replied.

Regal cocked her head to one side. "Just Frank?"

"Don't give my last name out to strangers." Said Frank.

"All right." Regal nodded, "But I hope we can be friends, rather than strangers."

Frank merely grunted, and seemed to be turning her answer over in his mind.

"Um…" Stellar thought for a moment, then said, "Frank, why are you spending Christmas alone?"

Frank gave a wry snort. "Why am I spending Christmas alone? Do you think I would be if I had any sort of choice?"

"Well…" Stellar shrank back a bit, flattening his ears and looking contrite.

"So you wanna know why. A'ight, I'll tell you. My wife died a few months ago. All my friends, all the old gang, is either in their graves or too senile to hold a conversation with. I'm alone on Christmas because _nobody cares_ about an old man."

"_We_ care, Frank…" Regal ventured, almost cautious.

"_Do_ ya?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. The man appeared very doubtful, and very distrustful. "What reason do ya have to care 'bout a stranger?"

"Well, what reason do we need?" asked Stellar Heart, giving a little shrug. "I can give you the reasons why we're here. We don't pick and choose who we help. Almost every Caring Mission we have is with a stranger until we get to know them. And it's Christmas…No one should have to be alone tonight."

"_Do_ you celebrate Christmas?" asked Regal Heart, who hadn't seen any sort of decorations. She knew it was possible that he was Jewish, and would have celebrated Hanukkah instead. Or, perhaps, since she saw no decorations, it was possible that he simply didn't celebrate Christmas.

Frank gave a little ghost of a smile. "Ayuh, I used to. When my Cora was alive. Y'know…the last Christmases I had with her were the most precious…and I guess I didn't want to have no more without her. Didn't seem right, somehow." He cleared his throat.

Stellar Heart shook his head slowly, feeling his heart begin to ache. "Sir, I can't imagine…My wife and I, we've only been married for nine months or so, and…"

"S'all right." Frank shrugged, and he seemed to be warming to their company. "Why're you still standing? Sit down."

Regal and Stellar sat down on an armchair, where they both fit comfortably. Then Regal remembered the food they had brought. "Are you hungry, Frank? We brought you something from our Christmas party."

"Oh, that's nice, but I can't take…"

"You'd be doing us a favor." Regal continued, "We made more food than we can eat." This was actually quite true. Much of it would be left over, and while they liked Christmas Dinner, they only wanted to have it one night a year, or three nights at the very most.

Frank actually laughed. "Well, you're a tenacious one, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm." She grinned.

"Hey, I know!" Stellar slapped his own knee with his palm, "Why don't you come up to Care-a-Lot with us? You can join our Christmas party!"

"Huh?" Frank looked slightly confused. "Christmas party?"

"Sure!" said Regal, seizing on to the idea and favoring her husband with a delighted smile. "There'll be Christmas carols, storytelling, and more than enough to eat. Come with us."

For a few moments Frank was silent, and it looked like he was going to refuse. He frowned, rubbing the dusting of gray stubble that grew on his chin, and muttered to himself as he considered their offer. Regal and Stellar hopefully at each other, both of them willing him to say yes. As the moments stretched on, though, they began to look a little crestfallen. It seemed that Frank had forgotten what they had asked him.

But no. Now Frank looked up at them, his old eyes smiling behind his glasses. "You sure I wouldn't be getting in the way?"

The Care Bear Cousins looked almost comically relieved as they shook their heads and beamed at him. "Not at all." They said in unison. While Stellar got up to put the containers of food in Frank's refrigerator, Regal helped Frank on with his coat, since one of his shoulders was unusually stiff. Stellar opened the white door of the fridge, and was disheartened to see that Frank had very little to eat. It was just as well that they had brought him enough food to last him a few days, and the tiger made a promise to himself that this man would never go hungry like he once had.

"We all set?" Stellar asked when he had arranged the containers on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

"Waiting on you, hon." Said Regal, who was pulling on her gloves. The three of them left, plunging the tiny apartment into darkness, and heading for the brightness of the Hall of Hearts.

……………………

The party was well underway when they arrived, and Frank was made very welcome and greeted warmly by the Bears and Cousins. He seemed a bit surprised to see so many of them, let alone such diversity, and he stared at them as adults often did. Rather than being offended, the Family engaged him in conversation and did their utmost best to include him. At first Frank was a bit intimidated by them, and pleaded fatigue when they asked him if he wanted to join in the Christmas carols. After a while, though, he began to respond to their overtures of friendship.

Hugs and Tugs in particular brought a smile to his face.

"Are you Santa Claus?" asked Hugs, wide-eyed, coaxing a chuckle from Frank.

Tugs smirked at his sister, folding his arms. "Naw, silly, he doesn't have a long white beard!"

"Don't make fun." Pouted Hugs.

The old man shook his head. "No, I ain't Santa Claus. I'm Frank."

"Do you _know_ Santa?" Hugs persisted, ever the curious one.

"Sure do." Frank told her, his eyes glittering with fun. "We're good friends, me and Santa."

"Wow!" breathed the cubs, awed to be near someone who had met Santa face-to-face. The adults knew that Frank was only having fun, and was making Christmas more fun for the cubs. While they knew that Frank had _probably_ never seen the real Santa, some of them had; Swift Heart's uncle was the Easter Bunny, and they themselves had come into being at the will of a talking star. It wouldn't have surprised them if Frank was telling the truth, but for the fact that he had the look of a campfire storyteller.

Now the cubs were peppering him with questions, the first of which being how Santa managed to go around the world in one night.

"Whoa, whoa, one question at a time!" Frank laughed. "To begin with, not everyone celebrates Christmas. So he doesn't have to go t'every house in the world. He told me time goes slower for the rest of the world on Christmas Eve, so he has just enough time to do his job."

"What's his favorite cookie?" asked Tugs.

"Why, he don't have a favorite." Said Frank, "He likes all kinds."

"What's your favorite reindeer?" asked Hugs.

"Oh, I like 'em all, but Rudolph does this crackerjack trick with his nose." Said Frank.

While Frank was entertaining the cubs, Brave Heart approached Regal and Stellar, carrying with him a piece of coffee ring on a Christmas plate. "That was good thinking, Sis, bringing him here. You've really made his night."

"Well, actually, it was Stellar's idea." She replied, taking her husband's paw as the tiger modestly looked away.

"Heh! Well, ya done good, buddy." Laughed Brave Heart, clapping the tiger on the arm and biting into his piece of coffee ring as he moved off to mingle.

"Thanks." Stellar smiled, glad for the word of praise.

"He's right, you know." Regal whispered in his ear, "I was thinking to entertain him in his home, but he's having much more fun up here."

Stellar Heart blushed and hid his smile with his paw, suddenly very aware of every move he made, as often happened when he was put on the spot. Regal Heart found it endearing, and perhaps he unconsciously showed such bashfulness because he was aware of that fact.

Hugs picked up a book that was sitting on a small table by the fire, and brought it over to Frank. "Mr. Frank, will you read us 'The Night Before Christmas'?"

Frank took the book from her, and ran his aged hand slowly over the glossy front cover. "I used to read this to my son when he was a boy…"

"Where is he?" asked Tugs.

Frank smiled, looking a bit melancholy, but obviously accepting the fact of what he said next. "Oh, he's in Illinois, four states away from me. His work took him there eventually; it was either move, or find another job. He don't get to visit me too often. But yeah, I'll read it to ya." He opened the book, and the cubs climbed onto the couch and sat at either side of him. "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring…not even a mouse."

As Frank read the story to the cubs, many of the adults came and sat nearby to listen. They all loved a good story, and this one was a favorite.

"And I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night'." Frank closed the book. "The end."

The old man looked up in surprise as many of them began clapping; he hadn't known of his audience. He gave a smile and a nod, setting the book down again.

"Well, now I think it's time for someone to sing one last Christmas carol." Announced Harmony Bear. Many of them looked at the clock, and Grams Bear exclaimed over the late hour, fretting about the cubs losing too much sleep. She would, however, let them stay and hear the carol. Many of them volunteered, but Harmony had something in mind. She looked over to where Regal and Stellar were talking by the punch bowl, and said, "I was thinking that Stellar Heart Tiger should be the one to get a solo this year."

Stellar nearly dropped his glass of punch, and his voice cracked like an adolescent's as he asked, "_Me?_"

"Oh, yes, you must!" exclaimed Grams Bear.

"No, I can't…I…" he protested, but it was in vain. The others were begging him to sing, having heard him sing only a few times before. He saw that there was no getting out of it, and resigned himself to it. "Well…what should I sing?"

Everyone had a suggestion, and the tiger was stymied by the clamor of voices, until he finally said, "Wait, I know…" He went and whispered something in Harmony's ear, and she nodded and went to the karaoke machine and did something they couldn't see. When the introduction began, Regal Heart smiled. She remembered how he had liked this song the first time he had heard it.

On his cue, Stellar Heart began to sing; he sang with his eyes closed, finding it easier to do so alone in front of a group if he couldn't see them. His voice, which was a sweet baritone, never once hit a flat note.

"'When the mountain touches the valley, all the clouds are taught to fly

as our souls will leave this land most peacefully.

Though our minds be filled with questions, in our hearts we'll understand

when the river meets the sea.

Like a flower that has blossomed in the dry and barren sand,

we are born and born again most gracefully.

Thus the winds of time will take us with a sure and steady hand

when the river meets the sea.

Patience, my brother, and patience, my son,

in that sweet and final hour, truth and justice will be done.

Like a baby when it is sleeping in its loving mother's arms,

what a newborn baby dreams is a mystery.

But his life will find a purpose, and in time he'll understand

when the river meets the sea. When the river meets the almighty sea.'"

The music ended, and Stellar Heart nearly jumped as the room burst into applause. He opened his eyes, and smiled in bashful triumph as he gratefully left 'the spotlight'. Frank, especially, seemed to find significance in the song Stellar had chosen, and his expression was thoughtful as he clapped. He bid the cubs goodnight as Grams came to bundle them off to bed, and then he sat back and watched as the party wound down. His expression was one of peace…and of acceptance.

It wasn't long before Stellar Heart approached him to see if he was all right. "I wondered if that was the wrong song to sing…" said the tiger, looking regretful.

Frank smiled and shook his head. "Nope. Just the opposite, it was the right song to sing. Maybe the only right song."

Stellar Heart looked more concerned than ever. He had only chosen the song because he liked the melody.

"I wanted to thank ya. To thank you and yer wife for what you did. I was a total stranger, but you two went outta your way to make this Christmas special." Said Frank.

"No need to thank us, sir…" Stellar told him.

Frank smiled gruffly, "An' stop calling me 'sir'. I'm jest Frank to you."

"Frank, then." Said Stellar. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Eh…just tired, is all." Frank looked into the flames.

As Stellar Heart looked at Frank, he realized that this man would probably never see another Christmas, and that he was well aware of it. The thought of it pierced the tiger's heart and saddened him, but at the same time he was glad to have helped make his last Christmas one for the books.

Frank looked over to where Regal Heart was talking with her brother, and he smiled as he saw her laugh. He remembered his own wife, his Cora, and he turned to Stellar. "You take care of her, son. She's a good 'un."

Stellar Heart smiled, his expression one of pride. "I will."

Soon it was time to take Frank home again. Regal and Stellar invited him to stay the night at their house, but he had politely refused, too proud to accept anything more when they had given him so much. They drove him to his apartment, and when they arrived a surprise was waiting. All three of them stopped short at the sight of a fully-trimmed Christmas tree and a pile of wrapped gifts.

"You've all done so much…you didn't have to do this." Frank protested weakly.

Regal and Stellar exchanged an astonished look, and said, "We didn't…"

……………………

That night, at ten to midnight, Regal and Stellar were sitting curled up on their couch, looking at their Christmas tree. The popcorn garland that Stellar had made earlier that day wasn't long enough for the tree after all, but only made it around two and a half times. They had spoken very little about Frank's surprise visit from Santa, for that was what it had been.

Stellar sat silently with his cheek resting on top of his wife's head. Regal attributed his silence to tiredness, but looked up in concern as he sighed and nestled a bit closer to her.

"You all right, Stel?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said quietly. "Just thinking about things."

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, curious.

He thought for a minute, and decided to come out with it. "About how glad I am that we had the chance to make someone's last Christmas a happy one…"

_'Last Christmas?'_ she thought as she lifted her head to look at him. But of course. Thinking back, she knew it to be so. She rested her head on his chest, and whispered, "I'm glad too…"

They remembered how his demeanor had changed from brusque and distrusting to merry and social, and how he had achieved a sort of contentment from the visit; they remembered how he had left them with a new acceptance of what he knew had to be, and how grateful he had been to them. And they found that they couldn't feel too sad for him. The only loss would be their own.

The clock chimed midnight, and they found that they didn't want to move just yet.

"Merry Christmas, Stellar." Regal Heart murmured, snuggling closer.

Stellar Heart kissed the top of her head, and held her close. "Merry Christmas, Regal."

The End

Recipe for "Coffee Ring"

1 Package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)

1/3 Cup sugar

2/3 Cup warm milk

1 & ½ Cups flour (Preferably bread flour)

½ Cup butter, melted

3 Eggs

¾ tsp salt

(Filling: Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Mix with the eggs and the melted butter. Add sugar. Mix in the flour and salt. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. Knock it down and let it rise again. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 14 by 18 inches. Spread with melted butter, using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle with Raisins, and roll it up. Put the roll on a greased cookie sheet and form it into a circle. Cut about halfway through from the outside with a scissors, and make the cuts about ¾ inches apart. Let rise for 1 hour, and bake at 300 degrees until golden brown. Ice with frosting, and put candied cherry halves and walnut halves on every other section for decoration.

Frosting

¼ Cup softened butter

2 Cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1/8 Teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons cream

1 Teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter until soft. Slowly stir in 1 cup sugar and the salt. Add additional sugar alternately with cream, beating thoroughly after each addition until creamy and smooth. Beat in vanilla. Additional cream may be added to give the frosting spreading consistency.

Enjoy!


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